Posted 1:21 am Friday, May 08, 2009
Students Receive Message On Dangers Of Drunken Driving
By COSHANDRA DILLARD
Staff Writer
HAWKINS -- Hawkins Junior and High School students filled the school's gymnasium bleachers Thursday afternoon to hear a powerful message about the consequences of drunken driving.
Staff Writer
HAWKINS -- Hawkins Junior and High School students filled the school's gymnasium bleachers Thursday afternoon to hear a powerful message about the consequences of drunken driving.
Sean Carter, 26, of Dallas, knows about it all to well. In 2005, he was a passenger in a truck whose driver was drunk.
Severe brain trauma affected his motor skills, so he is unable to talk or walk. He now communicates through a sophisticated computer that "speaks" for him.
He slowly awoke from a 39-day coma after suffering several broken bones, a ruptured bladder, and a collapsed lung in the accident. He now has 18 pieces of metal in his body.
He and his mother, Jenny, have traveled the state sharing Sean's story with the hope of saving at least one life.
"I promise you do not want to be where Sean is today," Ms. Carter told the audience. "We pray that what we do and what Sean tells you today will change what you do."
Ms. Carter said, as a single mother of three, she feels she did not do enough to prevent her son from getting in that situation. She now hopes that other parents will take time to warn their teens about the consequences of drinking and driving or getting in the car with others who are drunk.
Sean said like many young people, he thought he was invincible.
"I was not doing anything wrong, so I thought," he said. "I was doing what millions of other people do."
Sean aspired to be a New York City model to help pay for college. He had dreams of going to law school to become a real estate attorney, he said. But wild parties every weekend became an integral part of his life.
"Someone managed to get the booze and we'd see who could get the most drunk," he said.
Doctors said 90 percent of patients with injuries similar to Sean are left in a vegetative state. However, he has made a lot of progress and is optimistic that he will walk and talk again. Instead of hours of physical therapy each day, he now undergoes about two hours each week.
However, in the beginning, he didn't think about the work ahead of him. He said he just wanted to die.
"Life became a living hell," he said. "I was a prisoner in my own body. I fought the devil with many thoughts of suicide."
Today, he and his mother both say they have stronger faith in God.
"Now I know he's in my corner with every breath I take," he said. "It doesn't matter that I can't walk. It doesn't matter that I can't talk. Regardless, I will be the best that I can be."
The driver and another passenger in the truck Sean was riding in walked away from the accident. The driver is now serving a 10-year probated sentence for felony intoxication. The stream of friends lessened as he recovered, Ms. Carter said. Pointing out the value of life versus popularity, he closed his speech with some hard-hitting advice.
"Listen to mom. She really does know best."
The Quitman High School Anchor and Pilot clubs, along with the Mineola Anchor Club, were instrumental in bringing the Carters' story to East Texas. Members of the Anchor Club, which is a service organization emphasis on helping those with brain injuries, volunteer for camps and other projects.
The Quitman High School Anchor and Pilot clubs, along with the Mineola Anchor Club, were instrumental in bringing the Carters' story to East Texas. Members of the Anchor Club, which is a service organization emphasis on helping those with brain injuries, volunteer for camps and other projects.
Linda Roman, Anchor Club member and Quitman High School junior, said Carter's message inspired her peers.
"He's been through so much and he still has a smile on his face," she said. "He pushed forward and he's just like everybody else. Everyone should learn from his message."
Kelly McDowell, Quitman Anchor Club coordinator, said the Carters visited all six Wood County schools. She said she is amazed at how hard club members worked to bring them to there. It was through fundraising and generous donations that the events were possible.
"I am so proud of each and every Anchor Club member," she said. "Through their determination to bring Sean and Jenny to Wood County, we have reached over 2,500 students and faculty members. I am hoping that other school districts will follow our lead and reach even more."
Hawkins seniors Justin Dryer and Jefferson Scott said many teens their age drink to gain popularity. They hope that Carter's story impacts them.
"It inspired me a lot," Dryer said. "I will tell my friends to quit drinking and take responsibility."
Scott, who works with the Red Springs Volunteer Fire Department, knows firsthand how drinking and driving can lead to disaster. He said the assembly served as an eye-opener for some.
"It was necessary because most kids don't see what happens afterward," he said.
When Sean was drinking, he said bar owners turned a blind eye to he and his friends.
"As long as we were paying, they were serving us," he said.
Ms. Carter said she wants bar owners to share some responsibility when their customers become inebriated in their establishments. The two have also addressed lawmakers in Austin and are urging them to allow sobriety checkpoints on highways. Senate Bill 298 is currently being decided in the Legislature. In addition, they are pushing for ignition interlocks for offenders.
"Let's all share some responsibility," Ms. Carter said. "That's what we are saying."
